1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding device for spherical and flat objects. The device includes a carrier body and a clamping device which is held to the carrier body and in which the clamping device includes first and second clamping elements for accommodating round or angular objects. The holding device further includes a cover plate which is held to the carrier body and in which the cover plate and the carrier body are spaced-apart to provide a guide slot. At least one of the carrier body and/or the cover plate includes retention elements including a plurality of formed lips extending from a basic body, each lip including an uninterrupted front edge. The cover plate is pivoted in a tiltable manner around an axle located at holding elements to connect the cover plate with the carrier body. The cover plate is held under tension of a torsion spring against the carrier body. The cover plate is also formed so as to allow a tilt motion against the force of the spring to open the guide slot.
2. The Prior Art
Many holding devices for spherical or flat objects are known, but as a general rule these devices are heavy and cumbersome and require a large amount of space or can accommodate objects only loosely. However, it may be necessary to hold objects in an unfavorable position, for example in a vertical one, in which the objects need to be accommodated safely and tight to prevent the objects from falling out of the holding device. For such applications, the holding device should as far as possible be universally useable and for example be suitable for accepting small items, tubes, toothbrushes, writing implements, sheets of paper and the like. In most cases there is a lack of suitable space or a suitable storage place for providing adequate quantities of the necessary utensils or objects so that they are accessible to everyone easily.
Even in the age of electronic desktop publishing technology, for example, a paper holding device and if needed a writing implement holding device are indispensable. In particular, in locations where short notes are required, a holding device can prove very useful. For example, a holding device is useful in domestic situations or office premises near a telephone, a fax machine or the like. Holding devices for various objects are, for example, known which include loops or holes in a carrier body, for example, holding devices for holding writing devices. However, these holding devices are associated with a basic disadvantage in that mostly they are designed for only a particular size or a particular diameter of the object. If objects of a different size are used, these holding devices no longer fit, i.e. the object simply lies in the holding device without being held properly. The situation is similar in the case of writing paper required, which in most cases is not readily available; consequently, notes are written into the margin of a newspaper or the like.
To the extent that paper holders are known, they are limited to surrounding a block, to adhesive notepaper or memo-pad boxes; however, all of these paper holders have to rest on a horizontal surface. When an almost vertical type of attachment is chosen, for example by the use of magnetic clamps on a vertical metal wall, these holding devices are suitable for only relatively light-weight objects, such as for example an individual sheet of paper.